This minecraft survival map comes in the form of an oversized ant farm. Surrounded by glass on all sides, you find yourself in a room much bigger than any room you’ve been in before. In many ways, it is minecraft within minecraft, with a superscale build that dwarfs the player.

There have been other similar maps before, but none with the attention to detail and impressive minaturization that this map imparts to the player. You are insignificant compared to a crafting table that does not come up to waist height, but towers above you far into the distance. There is a bed, but you could fall into a crevasse in the creases of the pillow and never emerge again. Amidst all this incomprehensibly large splendor, you must eek out an existence, forever staring off into a realm of possibilities your feeble frame cannot hope to endure, let alone understand.

To survive this map you must be like an ant. You must tunnel ceaselessly, you must pass hormone markers on with your antennae and you must be able to carry several times your own weight without complaint. If you can’t do that, this map might not be for you. Or it might be. Who am I to judge.

PRO TIP: If you load this map and find that the walls are bedrock, that’s because the walls are bedrock retextured to be see through. You must use the texture pack associated with the map in order to get the full effect.

Created by the Minecraft Middle-Earth Adventure Team, this is aserious minecraft adventure and survival map. Serious business. It’s such serious business that it comes with an entirely separate (hand drawn, LOTR style) map and a texture pack. It’s also a huge download. If you’re sick of little tiny minecraft survival maps with a few blocks of dirt to play with, then this is a map you must play.

What can you expect? You can expect to be blown away by the scale of the build for starters. They’ve truly created a whole world for you to inhabit. I’d advise using the texture pack because it adds a whole level of atmosphere to the map that doesn’t exist – and although it is 16x, it’s also impressively detailed and styled in a way that will blow your mind.

All this amazingness comes with some restrictions. Because they’ve spent many months creating this epic map, they don’t want you messing it up with your ideas. So you’re not allowed to build or even place blocks. Anywhere. (Aside from beds, they’ll let you have a bed, as long as you seem sufficiently grateful.) You’re not allowed to craft anything besides armor and swords. If you insist on going off trail, the creators warn you that you’ll soon be lost and miserable.

Is there a story? Yes, there’s a story. Tolkein fans can’t resist stories. Long stories. Stories that might have some sophorific effects. This isn’t a map for anyone who wants a quick self directed playthrough. This is a map for people who want to get deep into something that has been created for them by a team of people who clearly take some serious pride in what they do.